Asiatic rhinoceros beetle
The Asiatic rhinoceros beetle, coconut rhinoceros beetle or coconut palm rhinoceros beetle, is a species of rhinoceros beetle of the family Scarabaeidae. O. rhinoceros attacks the developing fronds of raffia, coconut, oil, and other palms in tropical Asia and a number of Pacific islands. Damaged fronds show typical triangular cuts. The beetle kills the palms when the growing point is destroyed during feeding. The larvae do not damage crops, but instead grow in dead, decaying trunks and other organic matter.
In 1964, accidental introduction in some countries, and the perceived threat led to a special United Nations fund being established through the South Pacific Forum, with the goal of "eradication of the rhinoceros beetle and related insects in the South Pacific". Contributors to the fund were Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Western Samoa.
Control measures include the use of cultural methods, such as crop sanitation and the use of cover crops, pheromones, together with biological controls such as the manipulation of Metarhizium majus
The beetle is an invasive species in Hawaii, where it was found on December 23, 2013. It is believed to have been brought there in air cargo.
